There are a lot of factors for this, that I won’t to into here…because that isn’t what this blog post is about. Suffice it to say, the educational system needs help.
A miniscule example of this is winter break.
Because there are still so few school buildings built here, most schools still meet outside (like under the sun) or in half-built buildings or tents given by the UN. Because of this lack of facilities, the three month break for students is in the winter as opposed to the summer. Even if there was an abundance of school buildings, heating them through the winter would be impossible. Public/government funding is so non-existent for things like education. There is no budget for fuel. Heck, there is barely a budget for salaries. Our cleaning lady makes almost as much money as a full time teacher. This point was solidified yesterday when my language teacher and I were talking about this and she marveled at the fact that kids in other countries go to school during the winter…that someone actually gives money towards fuel for the classrooms…
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| A familiar sight across this country: Kids meeting for school. |
Now, other countries around the world have begun to take notice of the deplorable educational system here and donate money specifically for this. One country (which shall remain nameless…for their own sake) has jumped in with both feet. They have given the money for school buildings all over the country and I am sure they are patting themselves on the back as we speak. While their efforts are noble and well-intentioned…they are also just sad as well. Because “the donor knows best”, they get to decide how the schools are built and where to plop those buildings. Said Country chose a very dignified design made of stone and brick. The buildings are long with classrooms on each side of a central hall. Each room has large windows to let in ample amounts of sunlight that will enlighten the room as the children’s minds are enlightened.
There is another name for a stone and brick building with large windows built in a long row: a freezer.
With temps easily dipping below freezing each night for 7 months of the year in most places in the country…those buildings are bone cold. And remember the thing about there being no fuel? Yeah.
The other reason that schools are open during the summer and not winter is accessibility. This generous donor country also got to throw their weight (and money) around enough to decide where these schools should be built. The obvious choice being near major roads…with big fancy signs that have their country’s flag on them and an eloquent description of how great they are for providing a school for the poor urchins of this place. The irony is that many poor urchins have to walk miles to get to the schools. It is extremely rare to see a school building in an actual village. They are out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing. Part of this is that they are ‘centrally located’ so kids from many villages can be equally far away. Most people we know say it has more to do with the visibility of them… We know kids who get up at 3:30 or 4 am to start walking to school. They are there for a half day and then turn around and make the trek back home. Especially in the winter where there are feet of snow on the ground and large risks of avalanches, walking to school isn’t realistic.
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| Like I said, there is nothing around...nothing. |
It may be nice to think that having schools on main roads would provide a transport opportunity for kids to and from school, but that just isn’t realistic. There is no consistent public transport to or from these villages…usually the only form of transport is the family donkey (which some kids use). And people don’t have the money to pay for a transport system. Some families have flat out told us that they don’t send their kids to school because they can’t afford for them to not work (on the family farm, family shop, weaving, etc.). Buses would be a great idea…but most villages would be unreachable…and remember that lack of budget issue…yeah.
As you can see (from my very wordy explanation) the logistics of schooling in this place are a nightmare. There is no choice but for kids to go to school in the summer and be home in the winter.
I had a point in telling you all of this…a point other than just ranting and raving about the educational state of this country. The point was this…
The natives are restless.
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| The tent for this girls school blew away a few months before we passed it. |
(Check back tomorrow!)
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